Last year, towards the end of summer, we were in Lignite for a visit, and to be a part of the celebration of Doc Steven’s 90th Birthday party. You don’t get the opportunity to celebrate a 90th birthday party all that often. Especially one where the 90-year-old guest of honor is as spry and sharp as Doc, so North we did go.

It doesn’t seem like that was a “last year” event already, but we’ve all been tossed around in a bit of time warp since the plague rolled in. So it goes.

While we were hanging around, visiting, and stopping in to see the various folks we tend to stop in and see when we’re in town, we stopped into the Dixon residents for a visit, where Aunt Susan was entertaining some of the Stevens clan, and a few others.

Aunt Susie, always hospitable, offered us some wine and homemade rhubarb pie. I believe Linda Thomas had brought the pie by shortly before we had arrived. It was still warm. Wine I can take or leave, but homemade rhubarb pie, still warm from the oven, with a scoop of ice cream, that I’ll take anytime.

I was thinking of that day a bit ago, not for any particular reason, other than I think of Lignite and the people that make it home often. The result of such pondering was a song, pondering is good for producing songs and such. This one is called “Your Town”. It’s a little peppier than the sad sappy songs I’m so fond of. Must have been the pie.

Verse 1

Family and friends gather on the lawn

A summer nights' breeze carries laughter and song

North Dakota sunset burns crimson and gold

Crickets serenade the young and the old

Chorus

Warm rhubarb pie and homemade wine

Simple and sweet suits us just fine

Look to your left, look all around

These are your people, this is your town

These are your people, and this, is your town

Verse 2

The ring of the horseshoes, the crack of the bat

Evenings are full of sounds like that

Friends around a fire ask you to pull up a seat

Marshmallows on a stick, there’s s’mores to eat

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3

No matter who you are or where you roam

These people and this place will always be home

Come on in, come on and stay awhile

It won’t take long for your soul to smile

Repeat Chorus

Congratulations, and all the best, to all those that are hanging up their high school careers this month, time to see what the next chapter has in store. No matter what happens in that next chapter, always remember your town, and all those that have been a part of moving you from K to 12…and beyond.